


Hang Up Your Cape

by CaptainRivaini



Category: Black Sails, Black Sails/X Men Crossover
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Crossover, F/F, Gen, Mutants, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 09:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1852195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainRivaini/pseuds/CaptainRivaini
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the murder of an innocent civilian the already building tension of human/mutant relations starts to explode and Max is right in the middle of it. With Scott's X-Men looking for her and the rebellion of Charles Vane and James Flint wanting her to use her powers to squash the humans underfoot, Max is forced to make a decision that will change the world as everyone knows it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hang Up Your Cape

**Author's Note:**

> This is a crossover of Black Sails/XMen, there will be no X Men characters involved however I am borrowing both the setting and the general storyline from the X Men comics.

> **"W** hy are we doing this again?" Eleanor heard Silver ask for the thousandth time since they had entered the mountain entrance, his once confident voice now withdrawn and tired, "it just, well, seems rather excessive of us to go looking for one mutant, especially one that would rather team up with Vane and Flint than join us."

Eleanor sighed. She had gotten tired of Silver's incessant need to bother her constantly with the mission, and considering how Scott had explained it to them all before they left she was actually wondering if she should even bother explaining it to him again.

It seemed useless of her to do so, Silver rarely listened to anyone that wasn't Scott and he wasn't here \- just her, Silver and O'Malley. Certainly not enough to reassure her of safety, even in her own group and so was more than enough reason to keep her eyes open for betrayal or disobedience.

Her skin crackled with the diamond shell that usually coated it, the tense atmosphere she could feel in the air making the hairs on the back of her arms shape into small crystals of diamonds as she made her way deeper into the mountain.

"Shut up Silver, you're making everyone bloody nervous!" O'Malley answered for her, his accent rough with concern which was evident in how his eyes fixed on her soon after, something which she ignored.

There was not much point in getting distracted, she already had too much on her mind with this mission and Silver speaking absolute shit behind her didn't help one whit.

All she hoped for was Scott's information being right, and the location of their target would be on point otherwise this whole mission was for nothing and she was not prepared to let that happen.

She was still vaguely terrified that they were too late and the humans had gotten there first, but fear could not consume her at a place like this and she knew that. All she needed to do was breathe, and not let herself get too panicked in the process and expose herself to everyone here.

Still she couldn't help but express her own irritation at being down here, "it's like a maze here, we'll end up our own backsides if we don't keep ourselves focused so if you don't mind Mr Silver, kindly shut the fuck up."

Silver grunted in response, sorely used to Eleanor's lack of grace when it came to him and accepting it only due to the way he could give back just as much as she threw at him.

Eleanor knew that, she also knew that when it came to asking her companions on why they were here they would simply answer with one word.

A loud screech echoed throughout the tunnels of the mountain that caused all three of them to freeze, their blood running cold.

"Max..." Eleanor breathed out the woman's name like a prayer, ignoring the implications of that thought to allow the crackling energy she had felt underneath her skin before to wash over her completely, her skin transforming into the hard diamond shell that was her weapon and armour both.

Eleanor ran, briefly registering Silver and O'Malley shouting her name before she ignored it completely in order to race down the mountain tunnels.

Her pace was slower in this form, but she didn't know what would be greeting her when she saw Max, or if she would see someone else that would shock her into action.

Like Anne Bonny or Rackham, god she hoped against hope it wouldn't be them. What with Anne and Rackham together Eleanor had no real clue whether her, Silver and O'Malley would be able to take them on without Max being involved in the progress.

She turned a winding corner to head forward into a larger passage of the mountain where the rock had crumbled slightly near the top, causing it to collapse and for a large hole to take its place, allowing a gentle breeze to brush the back of her neck that she barely felt in this form.

It didn't matter, it was still a welcomed breeze and Eleanor sighed at the touch of it against her and how it made the bones inside of her to rattle and her breathing to become heavy.

The bright light that had been shining down upon her, exposing the clear blue of the sky, the glint of the diamond shards in her skin and the white fluffiness of the clouds, had suddenly been darkened and before Eleanor could realize fully what was happening she saw shadowed wings swallow the light and for two large eyes looking down at her.

"Why did you come 'ere Eleanor?" The winged mutant whispered, curling her wings around her to jump from the hole in the mountain to land a few feet away from her. Her eyes were wide and so full of anger and hurt that Eleanor felt like she was unable to look away, only half pleased that in this form Max couldn't see the full hurt on her face.

"I...We need to get you out of here," Eleanor finally managed to say, her throat feeling drier than she could believe, "the humans Max, they saw you retreat up this mountain on the news. You know how they are, you know what they'll do to you if they find you up here if Flint or Vane doesn't get to you first."

Max scoffed, her amber eyes narrowing at her in the darkness, "why would anyone care what I do? Or even what happens to me, Scott? You?"

Eleanor stiffened, feeling as though someone had taken another diamond to her skin and was slowly chipping away at her chest to dig deep into her heart. From how Max was speaking to her she knew very well that getting her out of here would be harder than she had expected, but it would need to happen if she wanted to keep Max safe. And of course there was no other answer to that but of course she did.

Max's eyes spoke of mistrust however and so it didn't alarm Eleanor to know that even in spite of their affections for the other, Max regarded her with such emotions that chipped at her heart.

Her throat glimmered in the sunlight, concealing the bob of her throat as she swallowed nervously in order to find the energy she found herself lacking whenever Max was around.

When Max took a step towards her she moved one step back - it was best to remember that her energy didn't just fade figuratively from her body with Max, a fact Max herself knew quite well and often exploited until it got her in trouble.

Like it had to earn her appearance on the human news, flying past the statue of Lady Liberty with her usual white wings stained a faded pink colour.

"You need to come with me," Eleanor said again, the memory of the news report demanding Max's capture triggering her to change the subject, "what you did in the city centre...People saw, Max. All of them saw you and now they've decided to come hunt you because of it, so please no more arguments - you need to get out of here."

Max's wings seemed to flutter angrily at what she was being told and even then Eleanor knew that her words were falling on deaf ears, ones that wouldn't even attempt to hear once she had stepped around that corner and Max had seen her.

"If you don't do it for me then do it for Scott-"

"He tried to take my wings from me," Max interrupted in a ruthless whisper, her amber hues darkening as she continues to speak and her tone hardening into something harsh, "I 'ad no choice but to stop 'im! What would you 'ave Max do, sacrifice 'erself for the other mutants around us in order to make myself a reason we need to be sympathised? I think not, I will not let them take my wings."

Eleanor couldn't argue with her on that, she knew the sting of human hatred and how the marks were still nicely imbedded on her wrists to be covered by trinkets and other eccentricities.

Max must have noticed her looking down at her wrists because her hand reached out to grab her diamond encrusted one, but at the last moment she hesitated and pulled away with a sigh: "I apologize, Max forgets sometimes."

It was this tenderness that sparked hope in Eleanor's heart and left her reeling as she damned the consequences and brushed her hardened, diamond fingers over the other woman's palm.

"You're worth it," she murmured even as she felt the presence of Max's power absorption start to pull at her life force, draining her bit by bit and causing her eyelids to droop.

Max's powers might have tired her, but they didn't stop the sound of Silver and O'Malley yelling for her, and it was more than enough to bring Eleanor from her thoughts and for her hands to tighten into fists around Max's hand until she felt her bones crack.

Max didn't need to look at her for Eleanor to see the pain on her face but she did so anyway as she swept Max up in her arms, bringing her to forward so that her body crushed into her own and she could feel Max turn limp underneath her.

Still it was not as if it were easy, as Max struggled against her with sounds of screams that ripped from her throat, and her wings fluttering manically around her as Eleanor continued to crush the woman against her.

"E-Eleanor stop," Max choked, her voice so pained that Eleanor had to look away in order to stop herself from letting go too early, "Eleanor p-please...stop..."

When Max finally did turn limp against her Eleanor let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to her knees, bringing Max in close to her chest and to brush her hair back from her forehead.

Now that Max was unconscious it allowed her to safely kiss Max's brow, arms coming up behind the other woman's legs in order to balance her against her chest with Max's wings tucked in beneath the space of her arms.

She felt a powerful surge from underneath her feet propel her forward slightly, and when she found her balance she was pleasantly surprised to see Silver and O'Malley both in front of her.

Their faces were dripping with sweat and a quick look at them to see rips and tears at their uniforms confirmed Eleanor's fears; that Rackham and Bonny had arrived sooner than they had anticipated. And from the looks of it? They were out for blood, and would have it, rather than let Max out of their grasp.

Eleanor however would be more than willing to fight them on the matter, and it must have showed in her face because Silver rolled his eyes and looked over at her with Max in her arms with an expression of annoyance and disbelief both.

"Next time you and Max can take them," he muttered even as he sped over to grasp Max in his own arms before he rushed back, all before Eleanor could even blink and think to protest, "Rackham's mind fucks are enough to give anyone a headache - and I'm severely hoping this headache -" he looked pointedly at Max slung over his shoulder, "- is worth it."

Eleanor didn't bother to hide her anger this time and found herself taking a step forward to smack the little silvery fucker in the face, only managing to slam her fist into the rock he had been standing in front of instead.

"Now that's enough!" O'Malley growled, getting in between them both to stop Eleanor from shoving her fist up her teammate's arse, "we only managed to get Bonny and Rackham out of the way for a few minutes, let's not try and tempt destiny by standing around here and arguing like children!"

Eleanor huffed at being told off in such a way, but she had grown used to it after spending most of her life under Scott's teachings his expectations of her. It had used to drive her up the wall at having to listen to him constantly, something she had once voiced to Max a few times when she had been staying at the institution.

Those days seemed simpler, only a look at Max's face and how bitter she now looked, all hard lines and angry scowls around the mouth and nose, could tell her how simple those days had been.

Silver was still cowering behind O'Malley's back and the sight of it made her suck her teeth, moving past both of them to make her way back to where they had come from.

"If you're finished practically shitting yourselves," she snapped with a snarl, "we're getting out of here. Come on."

* * *

**S** ilver ducked out of the way of an oncoming desk, his smile not faltering once.

"Now that one was rather sloppy of you," he remarked under his breath, this time only just about able to avoid the chair that was tossed his way, "honestly it's not like you're trying! Are we really getting this worked up over something I was told to do?"

Eleanor scowled and placed the lamp she had been willing to fling a few seconds ago back on Scott's desk, narrowing her eyes at the man as he sat at his desk, watching the events in front of him with curious eyes.

Eleanor scowled at him, "you ordered this? For her to be placed in a cage and contained?"

Scott merely raised his brow and nodded. It was something Eleanor had seen many times before, a simple nod that she had learned early on in this institution of Scott's it was to be taken as a nod that required silence and contemplation before speaking again.

Max had never really allowed herself to be taught that in the time she had been here - she had always been quiet and hard working and a good listener, but with Scott she had only been frustratingly difficult and a blow against Scott's patience.

"Scott does not like me, so I do not like 'im." She had always used to say, and right up until this very day Eleanor had never really understood why Max would feel this way, but it seemed as though today was full of surprises.

Eleanor damned contemplation the moment that thought rushed through her head and with a frustrated cry she turned away from Scott for a mere moment, collecting her thoughts briefly, before she turned around once more, prepared to speak.

"But it's Max!" She offered in a way of explanation, gesturing wildly, "that's Max in there, you've taught her, you've taught us both! You know she doesn't like to be kept in tight, restricted places and so you put her in there? Where is the logic in this, don't you feel any shame?"

The room had gone silent in the middle of her rant and Eleanor had only just realized that the door to Scott's office was open and two students were glancing in, theirs mouths agape before they noticed they were being stared at and rushed off from the door's entrance, their whispering voices still being heard even as they turned a corner.

Eleanor was too damn angry to be embarrassed, but the way Silver let out a whistle of appreciation at the embarrassing moment almost made her forget that and find that lamp again to throw at him.

But then she felt Scott's influence and swore angrily under her breath, cursing the sunny weather that allowed her shadow to be conjured up on the wall behind her as she looked down at her feet and back up again.

Scott's powers were something that both marvelled her and annoyed her greatly. The control of shadows and thus the person was something Eleanor admired in the sense it was damn useful against annoying fucks like Anne Bonny who could duplicate herself so many times that Scott's power practically made it useless, rooting her to the spot and faltering her from doing much more.

Sadly it also worked on her, and so Eleanor didn't feel quite right in praising it too highly considering that fact.

She couldn't move her mouth as such unless Scott allowed her to do so, so when she did attempt the motion she was pleasantly surprised to feel Scott had allowed her speech. It also showed that he would value what she had to say, and for that she was grateful even in spite of being trapped by her own shadow to entwine with Scott's.

Silver must have noticed by the smirk on his face yet that died when Scott gestured to him to get out with a cock of his head to the side, a gesture that Silver took to heart with only an irritated sigh as he turned his back on them both to speed out of the room, the speed in which he travelled enough to slam the door shut behind him.

It left them alone and when she turned her eyes towards the institution's head professor she was only slightly shocked to see him smiling at her, which quickly led to her anger to dissipate slowly at the sight of seeing such a familiar expression of comfort.

His words only added to that comfort, "he winds you up because he knows you care about Max, and you know this and wonder why he teases you in such a way," his smile didn't falter, "it as though you and him are sixteen again, breaking things in my office and cursing - such children."

Instead of the anger she had expected to feel at being compared to a child, Eleanor only felt disquiet at the memory Scott had brought up for her to delve inside once more like he always did when they were feeling nostalgic.

Nostalgia often allowed her to return to Max.

"Max was sixteen too once," she said pointedly, this time managing to wipe the smile off Scott's face at her stare, "she lived here once, she's one of us. You know that as well as I do."

Scott sighed, his hand coming to his face to drag over his lips and across his jaw. It was something he had heard Eleanor say many times before and he knew very well it wouldn't be the last either.

And that troubled him greatly, "she is a gaping wound Eleanor, one that you refuse to patch up even as it bleeds you dry."

"We've got her back Scott-"

"It has stopped being 'we' for a long time!" Scott argued, his easy smile now just a painful memory, "I give you these missions out of love for you, because I am aware as everyone else is that your feelings for Max is something that you need to deal with."

Eleanor couldn't quite believe what she was hearing, it was as if someone had dunked her underwater and all she could hear were gurgling noises and the sound of the water filling her ears.

She had never felt so lost at hearing such things as what Scott was telling her. It was like some damned dream she couldn't wake up from, and all she wanted was to scream at him.

He had been the one who had found Max near Versailles, had brought her back and had tried so hard to help her like he had with all his other students.

And now he was here, staring at her with a look that told her he wished no argument from her.

It made her lip twitch in annoyance, "why allow my mouth to move but deny me to speak?"

Scott walked to the side of his desk, and in response her shadow (along with her feet) moved with him, following her towards the exit as though she was a puppet on a string.

His power was too strong and Eleanor knew her diamond skinned armour and strength did not possess anything that could break through Scott's influence, and so she was useless to stop him from moving her forward to and from like a rag doll.

Rarely did Scott use his power against her, and so it didn't seem too far out to come to the conclusion he would be taking her to where her speech would most be needed, rather than her movements.

Away from the institution itself and below ground, right where Scott knew she would want to go.

* * *

**M** ax would have cried if she could have, if she hadn't already wept for herself a thousand times before whilst being in similar situations, situations she would rather not remember, would rather forget.

In spite of her lack of tears there was no denying that she felt terrified in being contained in this locked cell, the iron bars that prevented her escape burned her her whenever she tried to break free and the pain was unimaginable. It was clear this cell had been designed specifically for a mutant with her set powers, yet to think that was to also admit that Scott and Eleanor had sat down to speak of this - her containment.

And she didn't quite know if she was ready to break her own heart at the admittance of Eleanor being the culprit of this. Or at least a part of it.

Anne and Jack wouldn't leave her here, Anne especially would no doubt be thinking up a way to help her escape, but Jack was a different story entirely and that hesitation would be more than enough time for Eleanor and Scott to pick and pull at her.

It was that which scared Max the most, seeing the two of them in front of her and being pulled into a memory, a lifetime ago, that would cause her to pause.

She had been free for almost 5 years, hiding and hunting both to stay alive and whilst it had not been ideal she had been alive and free.

Anne and Jack had even talked about finding Flint or Vane to join their rebellion against the humans, but that was what it had always ended up being - talk.

Max hadn't trusted that talk and Anne knew that, she had tried more than once to try and assure her everything would be fine and that at least with Flint and Vane they wouldn't need to hide needlessly in each mountain they found when they scavenged for supplies.

Jack had only muttered they shouldn't be scavenging in 'the fucking first place.'

Max couldn't deny his point or the fact that lately even she had seen the wisdom in moving away from hiding in the mountains, it just wasn't safe anymore.

Her being in the underground cells under the institution just proved that fact, that hiding in the mountains simply didn't grant the relief she felt she had earned after her confusing years back in the institution, when all that had mattered had been right in front of her.

Now nothing seemed to matter but survival, and even that made her life go at a strikingly slow pace that she still hadn't gotten used to. Funny how hiding for so long could do that to a person that in comparison being in this cell was actually a blessing, at least she could tell when it was night from the small window near the left hand corner of her cell and food was often brought to her.

Visitors whom Max had known back when she had held a place in the institution often found their way to her cell also, bringing O'Malley whom had greeted her as kindly as he did anyone.

Max had thought him a stable element of comfort for Eleanor when she had left, but she knew she had been a fool to think Eleanor would have allowed O'Malley to comfort her in the way Max had wanted him to - he had the right temperament of course, it was Eleanor's stubborn pride that refused her comfort.

He hadn't told her that of course, because even he had his pride and ego, and Max found him to be too much respectful to even think of implying anything with Eleanor.

It was what he didn't say that had value to Max, and she was not dense enough to believe that she couldn't figure out the man's meaning with just thought and missing words alone.

He was also kind enough to hand her a Twix as he talked to her, the energy he could turn into a weapon inside of him repelled the burning effect Max had received when she had tried to reach out and for half a moment she had been tempted to absorb his life energy and therefore his powers right along with it.

But she settled on the Twix instead. There of course were other ways on escaping one of Scott's cells without hurting the people she still cared for, even if they didn't quite consider her with the same affection.

There was no fault in that of course, she had committed crimes worse than any she had done before she had been a street urchin in Versailles. But it would also be a lie to say that it didn't hurt her inside at the rejection, even if it was all due to her own actions.

Maybe Eleanor's too if she wanted to truly be childish and place the blame at another's feet, it would not have been the first time she had done such a thing and it would not likely be the last.

But blaming Eleanor for this life...it seemed too far-fetched for her liking; she had chosen this life for herself, it had not been the fault of Eleanor's that she had done so and thinking so did her no credit whatsoever.

It seemed amusing to her that her thoughts of the woman often led to Eleanor reappearing sooner or later, looking as lost and insecure as she always had under that diamond encased surface she often kept up around others.

This time however her thoughts did not just bring Eleanor, but Scott also. The sight of them both walking down that staircase that led into the hidden grounds under the institution made Max's heart jump into her throat and her wings beat the air around them nervously, her fear that maybe they had finally come to be rid of her for good stripped her of the bravery she had told herself she would put up when they had arrived and left her glaring up at them with glassy eyes.

It only satisfied her mildly to see that Eleanor had turned her face away from her, the rest of her just felt as though it was alight in an anger that made her face flushed red hot and her mouth curled into a threatening snarl.

_'I will not cower from them_ ,' Max thought bitterly, doing her damned hardest to blink back tears so her glare did not seem as pathetic as she felt it looked, _'they will see my tears, but they will not see_ _ **me**_.'

Perhaps she had said that aloud for Scott turned to look at her, this arms folded together as he looked down at her. It reminded her too much of how her father had used to look at her when she had disappointed him, a look she had hoped she would never see directed at her again.

"You know why you're here?" Scott asked her with a tilt of his head and his tone of voice sounding almost deceitfully concerned.

But not about her, of course not about her. Max knew at how his eyes only stayed on her for a split moment before Scott allowed his own body to betray him and looked towards Eleanor, tender and gentle in a way he had never truly regarded her.

Eleanor of course struggled to look at her and it took a few seconds to realize that Scott's shadow magic had played a part in this, coiling around Eleanor's own shadow and robbing it and Eleanor both of movement.

She wouldn't show sympathy for her no matter how much her childish memories demanded it of her, she had no sympathy left to give to the woman whom had lived a life of pure content whilst she had been left to cower in the darkness the mountains provided.

Perhaps that was unfair of her to think, or perhaps her emotions spoke more truth than she let on.

Either way, she would not allow herself to be scared or show fear. Not now, not ever.

"I know why I'm not 'ere," she muttered at first, her voice cracked and drained at first but slowly started to grow stronger, angrier, "you have tried to keep me imprisoned here many times before, all in the name of 'the greater good'."

"You don't know how to control your powers and because of it someone has died," Scott whispered, the silent authority that was so clear in his tone of voice being a cause enough for Max to bite the inside of her cheek so she didn't lose her nerve, "you're here because we do not trust what the humans would have done to you if they had found you, nor do we trust that you will simply slink away and not cause harm again."

Max wanted to argue against Scott's accusation so badly, but she knew more than anything to do so would deny the truth of what he had said. And whilst he still hadn't gotten all of his facts right it was not enough for her to correct him.

"You do not understand what I go through, and you shall never understand." She said instead, shrugging at the way Eleanor's eyes seemed to widen at her speech, "she has killed as much as me, and yet I am the one humans fear, the one people want to lock away because they don't understand, don't wish to understand?"

Max shook her head in disbelief: "it is madness..."

It was at that moment Eleanor had finally found the courage to speak, as small it may be, it was still the forces and semblance of speech that left her mouth and it made Max twist her head upwards to stare up at her.

"They hate all of us Max..." she breathed out uncertainly, eyes just as uncertain and questioning as they had always been when they had been alone together as children, "that's why we need to stick together, to talk to these humans and show them that we aren't the monsters everyone makes us out to be!"

"And what if we are monsters?!" Max screeched angrily, the anger she had felt before startling her enough that she had quickly sat up from where she had been sitting previously to hover near the bars of her cell, "what if I 'ave been made into one with the amount of cages that I 'ave been placed in?"

"That's not true Max..." Eleanor tried to protest, her argument weak and her voice sounded pained.

Max didn't care.

"That is 'ow we are protected from the monsters, do you understand that?" Max whispered darkly, shaking her head and swallowing to stop herself from spitting her anger with rage, "I asked you a simple thing, a thing I asked because..."

Max swallowed heavily; some things were just better at not being said aloud, something Eleanor herself was well aware of.

"You know why..." She muttered angrily, eyes glaring at the two of them outside of her cell, "you 'ad said before that you would not keep me caged 'ere if I did not wish to be 'ere and you 'ave gone back on your promise."

Eleanor sighed as she turned towards Scott, eyes pleading.

"Please leave us," Eleanor begged to her mentor as softly as a small girl would to her father in order to try and gain what she wanted.

Scott knew her trick and he was not fooled easily by it, there were other parts of this request that made him uneasy and all of them were to do with Eleanor's involvement with Max in the past.

"What is to stop you from releasing Max if I do such a thing?" Scott asked, his voice as discomfited as ever, almost knowing when it came to Eleanor's intentions.

"She doesn't care about me," Max hissed as she started to pace the cell floor with her eyes trained on every movement that Scott and Eleanor made, "she would lock me up forever if she 'ad 'er way

Scott scoffed with a shake of his head, turning to the young blonde woman to take her by the hands and squeezed gently. It was a touch of trust that Max saw made the other woman smile even with tears in her eyes, soft and emotional in a way that Max recognized from experience when she had been subject to them.

"I am putting my trust in you," Scott squeezed Eleanor's hands once more before he let them drop, "do _not_ betray that Eleanor - not even for Max."

Max watched intently as the woman nodded, her breathing heavy and shaky as though she was trying her hardest to keep herself steady enough that she wouldn't lose her nerve completely and potentially make herself look quite the fool.

Max found it amusing to an extent to see the strong, callous facade Eleanor had adapted suddenly vanish from existence with herself and Scott near, but there was also a sadness in her humour and how she had grown used to Eleanor's constant need to remain strong even when she was in turmoil of any kind.

It would kill her, that Max had been certain of for a very long time.

Scott nodded once towards the woman in front of him before his gaze settled over Max, eyes narrowed in suspicion as though he was trying to stare right through her.

In response Max merely cocked her head to the side and smirked, if he thought her the devil that danced on Eleanor's shoulder and whispered obscenities into her ear then who was she to deny him that way of thinking?

He broke his gaze away from her first and whilst it was only a small victory it was one to Max all the same, an even bigger one once he sighed and left the room completely, his palm the trigger that opened the door up above him by the staircase.

It left them alone.

Eleanor's skin quickly turned into the diamond encased shield that was her mutant power, her bright blue eyes a picture that brought out the individual beauty of each diamond shard of skin, and reflected the shell of protection she had always placed up whenever vulnerability was near to her.

“Now we have time to talk,” Eleanor said, "about what happened at the square, that man and..."

Max scoffed in response.

“Then talk.”

 


End file.
